Sewing-machine shuttle.



J'. KIBWIZ.

SEWING MACHINE SHUTTLE APPLICATION FILED MAY le, 1914.

l "Kg-5?. Patented Nov.1?,1914.

.'nnirnn srarns Parana ernteno JOHN KIEWICZ. OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOB T THE REIECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

SEWING-MACHINE SHUTTLE.

Application filed May 16, 1914.

1 accompanying drawing, is a specification,

like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to the bobbin-holding element of a sewing machine and has for its object to provide a novel and simple means which not only holds or retains the bobbin in place in the bobbin-holding element, but also applies suflicient frictional pressure to the bobbin to produce the necessary tension on the thread, and to prevent the bobbin from spinning in the bobbin` holding element.

The invention is applicable to bobbinhclding elements of various types, Whether vsuch element comprises merely a shuttle having a bobbin-receiving chamber in which the bobbin is retained, or Whether it comprises a bobbin case 1n addition to the shuttle, .in which case the bobbin is placed4 and which in turn is carried by the shuttle. Both types of bobbin-holding elements are more or less commonly used. some in one type of serving machine and some in another. In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have chosen herein to show it as it might be embodied in a bobbin-holding element of that type which comprises simply a shuttle having a bobbinreceiving chamber, but I wish it understood that this tvpe of bobbin-holding element is used for illustrative purposes only and as stated above the invention is adapted for use in connection with other types of shut` tles or bobbin-holding elements.

In the drawings. Figure l is a plan vievv of a shuttle embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line afm, Fig. l.

The shuttle shown in the drawings and in connection with which I have chosen to illustrate my invention is one Which is adapted for use With a sewing machine of the type illustrated in patent to Reece No. 404,863, dated June 1l, 1889, and it comprises a body portion l shaped to present a hook 9 which enters the loop of needle thread as the shuttle is operated and which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nev. i7, 1914.

Serial No. 838,900.

has a bobbin-receiving chamber 3 in which the bobbin -l is received the latter having tivo opposed heads between which the bobbin thread is received. In a sewing machine of the type illustrated in said Patent No. 404,863, the shuttle with its contained bobbin is mounted on a shuttle-supporting member which may be given either an oscillatory or a rotary movement, so that during the oscillatory or rotary movement of the shuttle the point 2 thereof will enter the loop of needle thread and the continued movement of the shuttle vvill carry the latter through said loop. In these shuttles the bobbin-receiving chamber 3 is usually open at one side to permit the bobbin to be placed therein or removed therefrom, and a hold-doivn or retainer is employed for holding the bobbin in the chamber. It is also the common practice to provide the shuttle ivith some form of tension device which acts on the thread after it leaves the bobbin thereby to give the thread the proper tension.

By my invention I have provided a con` struction by which the same element operates not only to hold the bobbin in the chamber. but also to apply the desired tension to the thread, and this end is secured bv so forming the bobbinretainiug member that it applies to the bobbin suiiicient frictional pressure to produce the desired ten-y sion on the thread as the latter is univound from the bobbin. such frictional pressure also operating to prevent the bobbin from spinning or overrunning in its chamber when the machine is running at a high speed.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention this combined bobbin retainer and tension device is in the form ot an arm 5 which is secured to the shuttle and which extends partially across the open side of the chamber 3 and overlies the end ot the bobbin 4. This arm 5 may be secured to the shuttle in any suitable Way so as to produce the necessary frictional pressure against the end of the bobbin. The drawings illustrate a practical construction in Which the arm 5 is provided at one end with an apertured head 6 that is received in a recess 7 formed in the shuttle l. and is held in the recess by a screiv 8 which extends through the aperture and screws into the shuttle. A spring 9 is shown encircling the screw 8 between the head 6 of the arm and the head off the screw, said spring permitting the arm to yield upwardly. The screw 8 is herein shown as a split screw, this type of screw being adopted because it will not easily work loose. The arm 5 can be turned about the screw 8 so as to vswing it into operative position shown in full lines, Fig. l, or into its inoperative position shown in dotted lines Fig. l, and when in the latter position the bobbin can be removed from the chamber 3 or replaced therein. Vhen the bobbin has been placed in the chamber and the arm 5 is swung into the full line position Fig. l, it will bear against the end oi' the bobbin with more or less rictional pressure, depending upon the adjustment of the screw'S, and this frictional pressure can be so proportioned that the resistance which it affords vto the unwinding movement of the bobbin will give to the thread the tension necessary in the sewing operation. This tension may be varied by adjusting the screw 8 to put the sp 1ing 9 under more or less pressure.

I will preferably offset the head portion 6 orP the arm 5 and make the recess 7 of suficient depth so that the head of the screw 8 will not extend into a position where it will be likely to be caught onto the thread of the needle loop as the shuttle passes therethrough.

lr desired the arm 5 may be made more or less resilient so that the rictional pressure of the arm against the bobbin will be due partly to the resiliency of the arm and partly to the resiliency of the spring 9. rfhis, however, is not essential as the important feature is a combined bobbin retainer or hold-down and tension member adapted not only to hold the bobbin in place, but also to apply to the bobbin suiicient rictional pressure to give the thread the necessary tension.

As stated above, the invention is not limited to the type of shuttle herein illustrated, but is equally applicable to other types of sewing machine shuttles.

In the following claims l have used the expression bobbin-holding element as referring to the element in which the bobbin is held whether the same is constituted by a single member as the shuttle shown in the drawing, or whether the same is constituted by two or more elements, one of which is a bobbin case in which the bobbinis received, and the other of which is the shuttle or equivalent element in which the bobbin case is placed. The term bobbin-holding element 7 is, therefore, used in the claims in a generic sense and not in a specified sense;

lVhile l have illustrated herein a selected form of my invention which constitutes a ractical embodiment thereof, l do not wish to be limited to the construction shown.

l claim:

l. A device of the class described comprising a bobbin-holding element having an open-sided bobbin-receiving chamber, a bobbin in said chamber having opposed heads one of which rests against the bottom of said chamber, and a resiliently-*mounted arm having frictional engagement with the other head of the bobbin to resist turning movement thereof and thus apply tension to the thread.

2. A. device ott the class described comprising a bobbin-holding element having an open-sided bobbin-receiving chamber, a bobbin loosely received in said chamber and held in position by engagement with the walls of said chamber, an arm pivotally mounted on said element and adapted to engage the end of the bobbin, and yielding means acting on the arm to cause the l'latter to apply rictional pressure to the bobbifn end as the latter turns.

device of the vclass described comprising a bobbin-holding element having an open-sided bobbin-receiving chamber, a bobbin in tne chamber, an arm engaging the end of the bobbin provided with an apertured head, a screw extending through the aperture in said head and screw-threaded into the bobbin-holding element, and a spring surrounding the screw and yieldingly holding the arm against the bobbin.

ln testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JHN KlE/VCZ. Witnesses F. A. SHEA, Louis C. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

